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Eight Lives Down: The Story of the World's Most Dangerous Job in the World's Most Dangerous Place | 
 enlarge | Author: Chris Hunter
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Category: Book
List Price: $26.00
Buy New: $12.90
You Save: $13.10 (50%)
New (38) Used (19) Collectible (1) from $7.45
Avg. Customer Rating:  10 reviews
Sales Rank: 62412
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 368
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.3
Dimensions (in): 9.5 x 6.4 x 1.3
ISBN: 0553806831
Dewey Decimal Number: 956.7044342
EAN: 9780553806830
ASIN: 0553806831
Publication Date: April 29, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
It’s a blazing hot day in Iraq. Wearing eighty-five pounds of armor, Major Chris Hunter crosses a barren landscape toward a bomb that has been expertly rigged to kill and maim. Exposed to snipers, prepared for the demonic tricks the enemy plays—like trip wires and secondary devices—Chris knows this mission could be his last. But with his heart hammering in his chest, he also knows one thing above all: he simply cannot afford to fail. In this riveting first-person account, bomb-disposal operative Chris Hunter takes us behind the scenes in an eye-opening, never-before-seen portrait of the most dangerous job in the most dangerous place on earth. . . .
By the time he got to Iraq, Chris Hunter was one of the most experienced bomb-disabling operators in the British armed forces. But Iraq was different. A place where terrorists and soldiers were climbing the same deadly learning curve. Where new devices and new tactics led to countermeasures, and the line between killer and innocent bystander was impossible to draw. As Hunter’s unit became more skilled at disabling bombs, the bombers became more skilled and determined—until Hunter ended up with a price on his head and bombs designed just for him.
From a horrifying ambush in the heart of Shia-dominated Basra to the chilling interrogation of a captured bomber, Hunter guides us through his hellish high-stakes, high-pressure world, where every decision could be your last, and where boredom is interrupted by terror, fury, and raucous humor. A first-of-its-kind account, Eight Lives Down is gritty, immediate, and heart-breaking—the chronicle of a man clinging to his sanity, his marriage, and his duty to his fellow soldiers.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 5 more reviews...
 Eight Stars October 18, 2008
One thing I have learned in reading many books from our soldiers fighting in the Middle East, is that a good story does NOT mean a book about it will be good.
'Eight Lives Down' is unputdownable. It deserves 5 stars since that is the highest allowed.
Edge of your seat "you are there" action October 11, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Eight Lives Down is a riveting, edge-of-your-seat first person account of a British Bomb Disposal Officer in Iraq in 2004. I originally thought this tale would be about the deaths of 8 of his men, but halfway through I realized instead what reference he was using.
EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world, and Captain (at the time) Hunter's specialty was IED Disposal, the Improvised Explosive Device, that has become such a hallmark of the war in Iraq. Primarily set off by something so simple as the average car remote for unlocking your door, Hunter gives you the "you are there" perspective as he recovers these devices or scans the debris for clues to the manufacturer if it's already gone off.
Then there are the secondary explosives set to kill the people like him who respond to bomb attacks, plus snipers and ambushes along the road to the scene. A true hero in this world, he and his men put themselves in harm's way to protect people they don't even know.
A must-read book for everyone, plus it gives us Yanks some insight into common British phraseology. :)
A white-knuckled blast! October 2, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Chris Hunter must have trouble finding affordable life insurance.
The job in question that he portrays in this book is that of a British Army specialist whose forte is disarming IED's - improvised explosive devices in Iraq. His tale - remarkably well written - is a gripping account of the job. You feel you are there, wearing 70 lbs. of body armor, sweating in triple-digit heat and loaded with another 80 lbs. of gear.
Tom Clancy couldn't write anything more absorbing. An undercurrent theme of "Eight Lives Down" is the huge emotional and marital toll that the job takes on Hunter and his unraveling relationship with his wife, Lucy. There are observations on the Yanks in Iraq, the nature of the Iraqi people, the job of winning hearts and minds and some touching vignettes of tenderness among ragamuffin street urchins.
"Eight Lives Down" is one of those books that you may find hard to put down!
 Too Much Testosterone... September 9, 2008
0 out of 5 found this review helpful
A compelling story but way too much macho commentary. The author's narration is like a teenager playing a video game ("take that you evil terrorist!") I'm not expecting 'sensitive' comments from a warrior who puts up with incredible odds, but the descriptions in this book make one believe that Rambo spent a fair amount of time in Iraq. There's even a point where he describes the insurgents as being those who kill just because they like to.
Way too much....
Fantastic and Engrossing August 31, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Wow, I simply could not put this book down.
Chris pulls you in quickly and doesn't let you escape the world of an explosives expert in the land of improvised explosives. From the tension to deactivating a bomb while trying to ignore the reality this bomb was planted so the bad guys could snipe Chris, to the despair over fallen comrades and the impact to his marriage.
Not just an incredible story, but well written with humour and sadness. I hope Chris continues to write, as I'll buy anything he produces.
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